Radon Gas in Macomb County, Michigan: What Homeowners and Buyers Should Know

By Matt Fletcher, Matt Fletcher Home Inspections LLC

If you own or are purchasing a home in Macomb County, Michigan, radon gas is an environmental concern that should not be overlooked. Whether the property is located in Warren, Sterling Heights, Harrison Township, Clinton Township, Macomb Township, Chesterfield Township, Roseville, St. Clair Shores, Shelby Township, or Mount Clemens, the only reliable way to determine the radon level inside a particular home is to test it.

Radon is especially important because you cannot see it, smell it, or taste it. A house can appear perfectly maintained and still contain an elevated concentration of radon.

What Is Radon Gas?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium and radium found in soil and rock. Radon can move through the soil beneath a building and enter through openings in the foundation.

Common radon entry points include:

• Cracks in basement floors and foundation walls
• Gaps around plumbing and utility penetrations
• Floor drains
• Sump-pump openings
• Construction joints
• Crawlspaces
• Openings around foundations and slabs

Once radon enters a house, it can accumulate in the indoor air, particularly in basements and lower levels. Below is a video discussing the dangers of radon.

According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), approximately one out of every four Michigan homes is expected to have radon at or above the federal action level. Radon is also considered the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking.

Radon in Macomb County

Macomb County is not among Michigan’s highest-radon counties, but that does not mean homeowners should assume their homes are safe.

In the map above, yellow represents low risk for radon, orange is a moderate risk and red is high risk. The Macomb County Health Department reports that approximately 5% to 10% of homes in Macomb County may have elevated radon levels and encourages county residents to test their homes.

Michigan radon data have also shown elevated results in Macomb County. The important point is that radon can vary considerably from one house to another. A neighbor’s low radon result does not guarantee that your house will also have a low result. State and federal agencies specifically caution against using county radon maps to decide whether an individual house needs testing.

Radon Testing in Warren and Sterling Heights

Warren and Sterling Heights contain thousands of homes with basements and concrete slab foundations. Many houses in these communities were built decades ago, and cracks, gaps and other openings can develop as foundations age.

These openings can provide pathways for soil gases to enter the house.

However, the age of a house does not determine whether it has a radon problem. A newer house can have elevated radon just as an older house can. This is why radon testing can be a valuable addition to a home inspection when purchasing property in Warren or Sterling Heights.

Radon in Harrison Township and Other Macomb County Communities

Homebuyers in Harrison Township may naturally pay considerable attention to waterfront conditions, crawlspaces, moisture, seawalls and flooding concerns. Radon should still be considered as part of evaluating indoor environmental conditions.

The same principle applies throughout Clinton Township, Shelby Township, Macomb Township, Chesterfield Township, St. Clair Shores, Roseville and Mount Clemens.

Radon levels are highly property-specific. You cannot accurately determine the radon concentration inside a house simply by looking at the neighborhood, soil, foundation or age of the property.

What Radon Level Is Considered High?

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking action to reduce radon when testing shows a level of 4.0 pCi/L or higher. The EPA also recommends considering mitigation when levels are between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L.

There isn’t a completely risk-free level of radon exposure. Generally, risk increases as radon concentration and the duration of exposure increase.

Radon Testing During a Macomb County Home Inspection

For someone purchasing a home, the inspection period provides an excellent opportunity to have the property tested for radon.

A home can have a newer roof, updated electrical system, modern furnace and a dry basement and still have an elevated radon level. Unlike many defects discovered during a home inspection, radon cannot be identified visually.

It has to be measured.

This is why homebuyers searching for a home inspector in Macomb County, Michigan should consider adding radon testing to their inspection, particularly when the basement or lower level will be used as living space, a bedroom, home office or recreation room.

What Happens if the Radon Test Is High?

An elevated radon result does not necessarily mean that you should walk away from purchasing the house.

Radon problems can usually be reduced through a properly designed radon mitigation system. A common system uses piping and a continuously operating fan to draw radon-containing soil gas from beneath the house and discharge it safely outdoors.

Sealing cracks and openings may also be part of the mitigation process, although Michigan EGLE notes that sealing alone is rarely adequate as a stand-alone solution.

After a mitigation system is installed, the house should be tested again to verify that the system is effectively reducing the radon concentration.

Don’t Assume a Radon Mitigation System Is Still Working

In the picture above we can see that the radon system fan is working because the pink liquid in the tube is uneven. The air blowing over the end of the tube causes this. If the fan isn’t blowing, the fluid would be even.

Finding an existing radon mitigation system during a home inspection is a good sign that a previous owner addressed the issue, but the presence of the system does not automatically guarantee low radon levels today.

Fans can fail, piping can become damaged and conditions around a house can change.

Michigan EGLE recommends testing homes for radon every two years, including homes that already have active or passive radon mitigation systems.

Every Macomb County Home Is Different

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming that radon isn’t a concern because their community is considered a lower-risk area.

The EPA specifically recommends testing homes regardless of their radon-zone designation because elevated radon has been found in homes in all radon zones.

That means a home in Warren can test differently from another house a few streets away. The same is true in Sterling Heights, Harrison Township, Clinton Township, Shelby Township, Macomb Township and throughout Macomb County.

Radon Testing Is a Small Step That Can Provide Valuable Information

When purchasing a home, buyers spend considerable time worrying about the roof, furnace, electrical panel, plumbing and foundation. Indoor air quality deserves attention as well.

Radon testing is relatively simple, and it can identify a condition that cannot be discovered through an ordinary visual home inspection.

Whether you’re buying an older bungalow in Warren, a home in Sterling Heights, waterfront property in Harrison Township, or a newer house in Macomb Township or Chesterfield Township, consider having the property tested for radon.

You can’t see radon. You can’t smell it. You can’t taste it. The only way to know the radon level in a home is to test.

For Macomb County homeowners and homebuyers, radon testing can be an important part of understanding the condition and indoor environment of a property. Visit my main page at MattFletcher313.com for home inspection information and costs. You can also call, 313-510-0284